Ruby-throated hummingbirds—among the feistiest birds around—have returned. They winged out of Central America about two weeks before they began appearing in backyards in early May. First to arrive were males, racing to claim a territory and get ready for females, who arrive a couple of weeks later. They battle and squabble with each other and anything else—you, the family dog or other birds—that strays into their feeding territories.
Life in the Fast Lane
/in Bird SpotlightRuby-throated hummingbirds—among the feistiest birds around—have returned. They winged out of Central America about two weeks before they began appearing in backyards in early May. First to arrive were males, racing to claim a territory and get ready for females, who arrive a couple of weeks later. They battle and squabble with each other and anything else—you, the family dog or other birds—that strays into their feeding territories.
The Two Faces of House Wrens
/in Bird SpotlightThese tiny, energetic birds are a backyard favorite but it’s not surprising that bluebirds and chickadees consider them home wreckers.
June/July 2010
/in CardinalSummer Butterfly Census | 2010-2011 Officers and Board | Gulf Crisis | Gardens for Birds
Big, Bright Birds
/in Bird SpotlightReturning migrants stand out in brilliant orange, red or blue coats as they settle in and advertise for a mate.
Spring, the Singingest Season
/in Bird SpotlightChickadees and cardinals sing lilting songs, but their meaning may be in the ear of the beholder
April/May 2010
/in CardinalCarp: Why We Should Care and What to Do About Them | Salamanders, and the Fate of the World’s Biodiversity Hot Spots | New Role for the Saint Paul Audubon Society | Annual Meeting: May 13, 2010 | Saint Paul Audubon’s Spring Warbler Weekend | Urban Birding Festival of the Twin Cities
Urban Eagles
/in Bird SpotlightMost bald eagles nest far to the north of the Twin Cities, but a number of these birds raise their young in the metro area.
Eavesdropping Helps Birds Avoid Danger
/in Bird SpotlightWhen chickadees chatter that a predator is near, other birds do well to listen.
February/March 2010
/in CardinalGreat Lakes Piping Plovers: Research and Recovery | The River We Have Wrought | What Holly’s Reading | Senator Janet Johnson WMA, North Branch | 2010 Legislature Begins February 4th | Birds — the Canary in the Coal Mine for a Changing Climate
Natty, Noisy Nuthatch
/in Bird Spotlight“Yank . . . yank . . .yankyank.”